guess who will be here wednesday, bill clinton, the former president stumping for barack obama. you ask what the polls look like. this is from american research group. you can see the president with a five point advantage within that survey psychology error. another poll had a slightly larger advantage for the president. it's competitive here in new hampshire. >> the debates are so critical. it's hard to say whether these debates are more important than other debates we've heard. what are the candidates doing and have to accomplish in terms of hitting home their major points? >> reporter: exactly. so much on the line wednesday night when president obama and mitt romney showed up for the first time since colorado. what are they doing today? mitt romney in massachusetts preparing and the president in washington. they are probably doing debates with their stand-ins. senator rob portman is doing the sta stand-in for mitt romney and done it in the past. and they go back to massachusetts. who better than a massachusetts politician to play mitt romney. that person is senator john kerry